What to Expect

Fixing dryers and dishwashers involves working with electronics -- so appliance repair students need to know their math and science.

"Pay attention in math and physics!" says Ana Maria Teixeira. She is an appliance repair graduate. "You don't realize how important these classes are to electronics. There's lots of theoretical physics in this work and you should be aware of it before you get lost in it."

Part of Teixeira's electronics program was a two-month work placement -- hers was at a science and technology museum. During this placement, she constructed and configured various exhibits for the science fair, such as a robotic arm and a walk-on piano like the one in the Tom Hanks movie Big.

The most enjoyable aspect of Teixeira's education was the hands-on work, she says. "Having the chance to not only learn it in text, but also to build it and see how it really works -- that was fantastic."

She remembers constantly taking projects home in order to study, disassemble and reassemble them. With the hour or two of assigned homework, she was constantly busy. Part of her homework included not only studying manuals, but also writing lab-type reports -- problems, diagnoses and solutions.

"There's always something new to learn every day," she says. "There's always a problem you've never seen before."

Survival Tips

Michael Hawkins studied appliance repair at Atlanta Technical Institute. He says students need lots of patience. "You need to have patience and an interest in this field. Otherwise it's going to be a waste of time. If you've got a personality that can't handle what's required, then you'd better find something else to do."

For Hawkins, the big financial crunch was tools. To save on costs, he recommends looking for used equipment in pawn shops and garage sales, or asking the program instructors, who sometimes have tools for sale.